A grassroots group is gathering signatures for a constitutional amendment that would eliminate Ohio’s property tax . Filed with the Ohio Ballot Board, the measure aims to appear on the November 2026 statewide ballot and is drawing both support and concern over how essential public services would be funded according to a report by statenews.org.
Skyrocketing reappraisals of property values have led to tax increases of 20 to 30 percent across multiple counties. As auditors revalue homes, many taxpayers are facing sharply higher bills according to wcpo.com.
Advocates claim tax hikes are unsustainable for ordinary homeowners, especially in booming markets like Columbus-area suburbs.
A recent opinion piece in The Columbus Dispatch explained Ohio’s property taxes are so high because state lawmakers have repeatedly cut income tax, reducing available state revenue. Local governments have consequently relied heavily on property taxes to fund schools, police, libraries and other services. The result: a tax system where homes are increasingly the main revenue source—a burden that hits lower-income residents especially hard according to policymattersohio.org.
Analysis shows Ohio ranks among the top 10 states in property taxes paid as a share of home value. For example, its effective property tax rate is roughly 1.59%, which is above the national average, and the average homeowner pays around $3,390 annually, compared to the U.S. average of $2,471. Other reports rank Ohio consistently between 8th and 13th highest in the nation according to fox32chicago.
The proposed amendment would abolish property taxes statewide, removing a major funding stream for essential local services.
Officials warn this would erode funding for school districts, emergency response, road repairs, public libraries, and other local priorities. According to WCPO, one township trustee noted: “That property tax is how we fund police, fire, road repair, if you get rid of property taxes completely, then we’re not going to be able to respond to a 911 call.”
The same budget legislation that cut state income taxes and set a flat rate of 2.75% from 2026 vetoed proposed property tax relief measures including caps on school district carry‑overs and rollback levies. This has disappointed reform advocates who say the legislation did too little to ease property tax burdens according to statenews.org.
Meanwhile, legislators have proposed incremental reforms such as increasing the homestead exemption, limiting school district carryover percentages, and reforming levy structures. But critics say these measures are modest and unlikely to reverse the broader trend of tax hikes tied to rising property values according to WCPO.
